karlbbb Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 At the moment I have a Squier Deluxe Jazz V, and I think it's a cracking bass, especially for the money, but I'm hoping to get myself a 6 string, preferably in the not too distant future. Tone wise, I could do with the bass that can give a bit of variety, but I think mainly I'm after a nice smooth but punchy finger tone. I quite like Mike Kroegers tone, also Tye Zamora from Alien Ant Farm. I've just auditioned for a band, it's more of a slower, ballad kind of band, but with a couple of more upbeat songs. I imagine I'd be selling on the Squier, but being a student, I really can't stretch much....so would it be possible to find myself a decent 6 string for around £200-£250 (possibly £300 at a stretch)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 I think [b]d-basser[/b] might still have a Peavey 6 string up for grabs on this very forum. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=19136&st=0"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=19136&st=0[/url] Definately worth a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Stick to a 5 string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlbbb Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 [quote name='steve-soar' post='302653' date='Oct 8 2008, 11:58 PM']Stick to a 5 string.[/quote] Any particular reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Buy one if you feel like it,but i dont really think 6 string bass has much point to it unless you are a big fat monster session dude playing behind RnB singers,and it wont get you any more chicks,to many strings and you can lose sight of the fact you are supposed to be holding down a bottom end groove.Saying that there are some good players that use 6 string basses,try it maybe it will be your thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 I'm slowly growing used to the idea of a 6'er even though I'm on my third. I don't like the extra wide fingerboard but I do like the additional freedom the extra C string gives me. I can even attempt to play chords! I'm far from being any kind of session monster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlbbb Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 [quote name='YouMa' post='302689' date='Oct 9 2008, 12:55 AM']Buy one if you feel like it,but i dont really think 6 string bass has much point to it unless you are a big fat monster session dude playing behind RnB singers,and it wont get you any more chicks,to many strings and you can lose sight of the fact you are supposed to be holding down a bottom end groove.Saying that there are some good players that use 6 string basses,try it maybe it will be your thing.[/quote] [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='302698' date='Oct 9 2008, 01:06 AM']I'm slowly growing used to the idea of a 6'er even though I'm on my third. I don't like the extra wide fingerboard but I do like the additional freedom the extra C string gives me. I can even attempt to play chords! I'm far from being any kind of session monster.[/quote] See the thing is, I've played a couple of 6s, and I actually felt really comfortable with it. I don't plan on being a solo bassist/session player/crazy sounds kinda bassist, but I plan on having "my bass" as such (monogamy ftw!), and for me to have the option of the 6th string would be nice. Also, having just seen a couple of tasty pictures of the Spector Legend 6 Classic in Bubinga finish, wow, major GAS attack. It's far out of my price range, but I may end up selling my laptop on yet so that would bring me a lot closer. I hate GAS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born 2B Mild Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Go buy a SECONDHAND sixer, with as much budget as you can muster. If, after a while, you want to go back to a fiver then you shouldn't lose a bean. The one thing that matters most to me, is the string spacing at the bridge end. It has to be as wide as possible for my fingers to dig in, but I only found that out because my first sixer had narrow spacing. So maybe you can try a few in a shop to see what suits you. I've had two sixers and am currently without one. But I'd love another, when I get an income again. The BC'er who bought my European-made sixer, knows I want it back if he ever sells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 (edited) [quote name='YouMa' post='302689' date='Oct 9 2008, 12:55 AM']Buy one if you feel like it,but i dont really think 6 string bass has much point to it unless you are a big fat monster session dude playing behind RnB singers,and it wont get you any more chicks,to many strings and you can lose sight of the fact you are supposed to be holding down a bottom end groove.Saying that there are some good players that use 6 string basses,try it maybe it will be your thing.[/quote] You can play the same stuff on a 6 as you can on a 4 and the bigger instrument definately impresses the chicks as well. I got married after I had my 7 string Sei built. Surely this shows the power an ERB holds over music-loving ladies Edited October 9, 2008 by 7string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootleg Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 a rather belated pennies worth from me. Did you get a six string in the end? I have played a sixer (moving up from a 4) for nearly 3 years now. I got the urge for no particular reason, but when I tried a few they had an immediate impact. Though the neck is wider, the string spacings tend to be closer than a 4 (at least as I perceive them), and I find that easier even though I have quite small hands, and with the extra strings top and bottom, there is less need for big neck jumps. I don't slap, but I could see it would be harder with 6 strings. They are of course heavier. I have a Cort Curbow 6. I seldom play my 4 string now. I would be interested to know how many people on the forum own and play a sixer regularlyl. Is it easy to set up a poll on the forum? As for looks. They are pretentious, but cool. Though when you see a player with a sixer, there can be expectations of monster talent, which I for one, always fail to deliver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Ive just bought myself a decent 6 string (Cort Artisan A6) after playing with a cheap £99 one off my local Sunday market for 6 months I'm really loving it haven't put it down for the last week I don't want to be a "Monster Session Soloist" I like the added range and use the extra strings in context Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleal Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I moved straight from a wal custom 4 string to a tobias pro 6 (korian version) & found it very easy to play, it took me a couple of weeks to get used to the extra strings & being able to hit the right notes & i had to realy think about the way i slap & pop but around a month later i could play it just as well as i could play my 4 string. I have had a few sixers since & currantly own a warwick thumb nt6 (not recomended as a first 6 string "very chunky neck") but i love it If you can find a tobias pro 6 go for it, dial in the bridge pickup with the tone backed off will give you a pretty convincing tye zamora tone, they usually go for around £300-£400 with through neck & active eq, the neck is i would say is a medium width but is very slim & comfortable. I would definately have another one of these but at the moment i'm waiting to see if paul herman will build me a 6 string fretless wal once he's sorted out his back orders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlbbb Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 Hey, I ended up sticking with a 5 in the end (Spector Legend 5) but I still pine for a 6, I think possibly for my next purchase later in the year. The Spector works well for my band, so I don't think a bass I got would get gigged so much (some negative opinions from my other band members plus the audience expecting me to overplay or be amazing, of which I do neither). I've seen news (rumors) of a RockBass Corvette 6 possibly making an appearance later on in the year, puts it right up on my list (love the shape), and I think a price range of around £300-500 will be suitable, so keep the suggestions coming in. Thanks for the new responses Karl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringbassist Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 6 is way better than a 4, I do own a few 4 string basses, but they're mainly to satisfy a need for particular gigs. Sixes are actually easier to play, I think anyway, once you get your head around the extra notes. Less position shifts, I can play from a low D (doesn't exist on a standard tuned 4 string) to a high F# (that'd be 11th fret on the G string), without changing position. This makes reading or following complex chord charts so much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 There are several 6 string basses in your price range on Ebay right now. I couldn't tell you if they are "[i]decent[/i]" though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Four will always be enough for me, so I may be talking bollocks, but it seems to me that a budget 6 will be way more compromised than a budget 4, simply cos the volume of sales for budget 4's enables more competitive prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiritchaser Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 [quote name='littleal' post='383316' date='Jan 17 2009, 04:55 PM']I moved straight from a wal custom 4 string to a tobias pro 6 (korian version) & found it very easy to play, it took me a couple of weeks to get used to the extra strings & being able to hit the right notes & i had to realy think about the way i slap & pop but around a month later i could play it just as well as i could play my 4 string. I have had a few sixers since & currantly own a warwick thumb nt6 (not recomended as a first 6 string "very chunky neck") but i love it If you can find a tobias pro 6 go for it, dial in the bridge pickup with the tone backed off will give you a pretty convincing tye zamora tone, they usually go for around £300-£400 with through neck & active eq, the neck is i would say is a medium width but is very slim & comfortable. I would definately have another one of these but at the moment i'm waiting to see if paul herman will build me [b]a 6 string fretless wal[/b] once he's sorted out his back orders [/quote] Definitely the best choice you can make! My fretless is a real dream to play: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringbassist Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 [quote name='spiritchaser' post='383832' date='Jan 18 2009, 11:29 AM']Definitely the best choice you can make! My fretless is a real dream to play:[/quote] Argh, you have the bass I want !. I saw a 6 string Wal years ago in a shop called the Embassy in Mansfield, at the time I was shopping for a 5 string, I believe that they're really rare.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwesi Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 The thing about playing a six is that YOU have to put that C string to work. It's more than easy enough to find a place for notes on the other 5. It forces you to think about new ways to work around the music you're given. Its fun to play once you get the hang of what the hell you actually want to do with it, lol. I say go for the 6 but before you do try some out in a store. Some people know right off the bat that they wont be able to deal with the extra weight, neck width, string, and whatever else comes with it so Its always a good idea to demo some before you make your decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) I don't own a 5 string and I made the jump from a fretted 4 to a 6 string fretless. I heard Marco Mendoza on a CD called "Screaming Blue Murder" and I wanted that fretless sound within a rock format. The one and only rule about the number of strings on your bass is to remember that there are no rules. If you feel like you want a 5 or a 6 or whatever, then find one and try it out. If you like it, and you're happy with it and excited to play it, then go for it. It's your money, so who cares what anyone else thinks or says. Some other players may have the opinion that 4 or 5 strings are best, but that's only their opinion and it's fine to respect that but to ignore it at the same time. When I played the 6 in the rock band, the other guys loved the sound and didn't mind how it looked as the colour was a dark, transparent red so didn't stick out. However, they told me never, ever to wear the grey polo neck jumper I had on because it was "too jazz" (heck, it was cold that morning ). [size=1][i]PS. I am already preparing myself for the amount of flack that's going to come my way when I post pics of my ACG 9 string.[/i][/size] Edited January 18, 2009 by 7string Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleal Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 [quote name='spiritchaser' post='383832' date='Jan 18 2009, 11:29 AM']Definitely the best choice you can make! My fretless is a real dream to play:[/quote] All i can do is dream about playing one at the moment That is a sexy bass you got there..... is the tone of it anyware close to the 4 string wals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiritchaser Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 [quote name='littleal' post='384986' date='Jan 19 2009, 03:36 PM']All i can do is dream about playing one at the moment That is a sexy bass you got there..... is the tone of it anyware close to the 4 string wals?[/quote] Hi there, well, it's definately comparable to the 4-string, but if you happened to play a fretted fiver WAL with its low B you could imagine how booming it sounds on a fretless six-string! It's very warm and wooden, and it only features (at least on the one I own) an almost non-existing pick-attack - but you dial in a completely other tone configuration alltogether anyway on that fretless. I have it like that: bass flat at 10, treble between 3 - 5 boosted (to really get the mmmmwahh-sound). Both PUs at 50%. On my MK I fretless I boost the bass at 7 and the treble at 6. It features the full pick attack, but I don't use it very often. Also, both PUs at 50%. Still, the MKIII sounds more double-bass-like, more wooden and booming, and the MK I sounds a little more articulated and modern. Maybe it's also in the combination of the woods (MK III-American walnut over mahogany core, plain ebony board opposed to acid stained maple over mahogany core and maple-lined ebony board) or in the use of strings (MKIII-D'Addario, MKI-Sadowsky). Cheers Oliver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleal Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Thanks for that oliver, i use to have a 4 string mk1 fretless with shedua facings & i loved the sound it made, hopefully paul herman will get back to me soon & i can discuss having one made for me. At the moment i have a warwick thumb nt6 & was very tempted to buy another one & have the fingerboard replaced for a fretless ebony one but i think i'll wait as a 6 string fretless wal is what i've alway's dreamed of having Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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